Jake the Peg:
I think you're getting a bit ahead of yourself. We had a good win in france but they've been rubbish so far without tomkins, lost heavily to wigan, scraped past an abject hudds (who were the better team on the night and haven't won a game yet this year), were better against leigh and should have won it, then came back from a large deficit against wigan - had field stayed on I suspect we'd have lost comfortably.
I do think we'll be competitive, particularly if we can keep everyone fit between now and then, but I still have rovers down as strong favourites, probably 75% they'll win, 25% we can snatch it. They play the type of fast game we struggle against and outside backs and 2nd rowers are strong. Realistically we'd need them to be off their best and us at ours for us to win it
Maybe, possibly. Don't think I would slant it 75/25 in rovers favour (55/45 at best for me) although I guess they do go in as favourites. This is virtually a standalone game, almost divorced from the rest of the season and in sport one-offs have a funny way of not turning out as expected.
I still think this is our one shot at turning this year into something totally unexpected which then plays against their desire to end the 40 year drought (especially with Wigan now out of the way). I agree that we will need to be largely injury free and firing on all cylinders, but this is a one-off cup tie and it doesn't always pan out as expected in these cases.
I've never taken anything for granted with our club, ever since I stood at Wembley, 7th May 1983. The cup can throw up oddities (as we know only too well) and I just feel this one is far less of a conclusion than other fans seem to be taking it.
